Accused S.C. courthouse shooter committed crimes in Daytona

Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 5:41 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 8:56 p.m.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Going berserk, and violently so, appears to be a theme for Curtis Brent Gorny, a former Daytona Beach resident recently arrested in South Carolina where police said he shot a woman and her stepfather outside a courthouse.

Curtis Brent Gorny, a former Daytona Beach resident, was recently arrested in South Carolina where police said he shot a woman and her stepfather outside a courthouse.

Gorny, 54, of Cheraw, S.C., was arrested after shooting the pair on Feb. 13 outside the Chesterfield County Courthouse. Afterward, Gorny led deputies on a chase — even firing at the pursuing patrol cars, according to the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies stopped Gorny by placing spikes on the road and using patrol cars to pin his pickup as the chase approached a school, Sheriff Sam Parker said in a phone interview. Gorny is accused of shooting Olivia Weaver, 21, and her stepfather, Johnny Nolan, because of a dispute over the paternity of her child, Parker said.

Gorny claims he is the father. Weaver was at the courthouse for a DNA test to decide paternity of her child, Parker said. Weaver and Nolan are expected to survive. Deputies were familiar with Gorny, who already had a pending case of domestic violence, Parker said.

"This is not his first rodeo," Parker said. "He actually has some charges pending."

Add three counts of attempted murder and a host of other charges to that.

Gorny also had his run-ins with the law while living in Daytona Beach.

On April 30, 2006, Gorny was arrested by Daytona Beach police and charged with domestic battery. Gorny grabbed his then-girlfriend Bonnie Graham's throat and choked her until she lost consciousness, a police report said. He also punched her.

Gorny and Graham lived with roommate Richard Hayden in a house on Congress Avenue. Hayden said in an interview on Tuesday that Gorny had started several arguments the night before the attack. Then he snapped.

"He went completely berserk," Hayden said. "That's when he was strangling Bonnie."

Graham lived at the house until she died of liver disease in 2010, Hayden said. She was 50. The three had lived for a time without incident and Gorny was helping around the house, doing painting and ceiling work, until he attacked Graham, Hayden said.

"I think he was bipolar," Hayden said.

Gorny was found guilty in 2006 of felony battery and sentenced to two years in prison. When Graham learned in December 2007 that Gorny was to be released the next month from Tomoka Correctional Institution, she filed an injunction for protection.

"He will come after me when he gets out," Graham wrote. "I am afraid he will kill me. I do not want to die because of him."

In the injunction she referred to a 2005 incident at the same home on Congress Avenue involving Gorny. She said Gorny was staying with her for two months after getting out of jail on a domestic violence case. Gorny wanted sex but she refused.

"He went berserk," she wrote.

Gorny choked her and hit her.

"After he realized I wasn't dead he started hitting me," she wrote. "He knocked me upside of my head."

Gorny was a arrested on March 6, 2005, according to another police report. He was found guilty of domestic battery and sentenced to two months in jail.

<p>DAYTONA BEACH -- Going berserk, and violently so, appears to be a theme for Curtis Brent Gorny, a former Daytona Beach resident recently arrested in South Carolina where police said he shot a woman and her stepfather outside a courthouse. </p><p>Gorny, 54, of Cheraw, S.C., was arrested after shooting the pair on Feb. 13 outside the Chesterfield County Courthouse. Afterward, Gorny led deputies on a chase &mdash; even firing at the pursuing patrol cars, according to the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office. </p><p>Deputies stopped Gorny by placing spikes on the road and using patrol cars to pin his pickup as the chase approached a school, Sheriff Sam Parker said in a phone interview. Gorny is accused of shooting Olivia Weaver, 21, and her stepfather, Johnny Nolan, because of a dispute over the paternity of her child, Parker said. </p><p>Gorny claims he is the father. Weaver was at the courthouse for a DNA test to decide paternity of her child, Parker said. Weaver and Nolan are expected to survive. Deputies were familiar with Gorny, who already had a pending case of domestic violence, Parker said. </p><p>"This is not his first rodeo," Parker said. "He actually has some charges pending." </p><p>Add three counts of attempted murder and a host of other charges to that. </p><p>Gorny also had his run-ins with the law while living in Daytona Beach. </p><p>On April 30, 2006, Gorny was arrested by Daytona Beach police and charged with domestic battery. Gorny grabbed his then-girlfriend Bonnie Graham's throat and choked her until she lost consciousness, a police report said. He also punched her. </p><p>Gorny and Graham lived with roommate Richard Hayden in a house on Congress Avenue. Hayden said in an interview on Tuesday that Gorny had started several arguments the night before the attack. Then he snapped. </p><p>"He went completely berserk," Hayden said. "That's when he was strangling Bonnie." </p><p>Graham lived at the house until she died of liver disease in 2010, Hayden said. She was 50. The three had lived for a time without incident and Gorny was helping around the house, doing painting and ceiling work, until he attacked Graham, Hayden said. </p><p>"I think he was bipolar," Hayden said. </p><p>Gorny was found guilty in 2006 of felony battery and sentenced to two years in prison. When Graham learned in December 2007 that Gorny was to be released the next month from Tomoka Correctional Institution, she filed an injunction for protection. </p><p>"He will come after me when he gets out," Graham wrote. "I am afraid he will kill me. I do not want to die because of him." </p><p>In the injunction she referred to a 2005 incident at the same home on Congress Avenue involving Gorny. She said Gorny was staying with her for two months after getting out of jail on a domestic violence case. Gorny wanted sex but she refused. </p><p>"He went berserk," she wrote. </p><p>Gorny choked her and hit her. </p><p>"After he realized I wasn't dead he started hitting me," she wrote. "He knocked me upside of my head." </p><p>Gorny was a arrested on March 6, 2005, according to another police report. He was found guilty of domestic battery and sentenced to two months in jail.</p>